Some of fashion’s biggest names will also be competing for glory at the Rio Olympics.
From Christian Louboutin to Ralph Lauren, high-end designers are outfitting the world’s top athletes during the Opening and Closing ceremonies.
It’s an Olympian task for designers to capture the essence of a country with the look of the uniforms.
Most of the teams partner with designers from their own countries.
The first round of formal wear will be on full display during Friday’s Opening Ceremony.
Here are some of the looks athletes will be seen in:
U.S.A.
Olympians on Team USA will wear outfits designed by Ralph Lauren. The theme is “fresh and sporty” and the clothes will heavily use the red, white and blue of the American flag. Even the boat shoes and braided bracelets they’ll be wearing are in patriotic colors.
All of the pieces of the uniform worn by Team USA were made in America.
The flag bearer gets special treatment — a jacket with the letters U-S-A on the back, which will light up.
Australia
The athletes representing Australia will be decked out in “fresh and fitted” outfits made by Sportscraft and shoes made by Toms.
This is the seventh time Sportscraft has designed the team’s uniforms. The design process took two years. The lining inside the blazers has the names of Australian’s past gold medal winners.
Canada
Canadian Olympians are already favored to do well in terms of the reception to their outfits.
The clothes were designed by Dsquared2, from fashion designers Dean and Dan Caten.
The looks, which have been well-received on social media, feature edgy red blazers and white shirts and sporty black pants.
Great Britain
Olympic athletes from Great Britain will wear uniforms made by Simon Jersey.
Like most countries, the team’s look uses the colors of the flag but Great Britain’s blazers have a special touch. Sewn into the lining are ten messages of support that were written by kids. The schoolchildren were chosen from around the country as part of a competition. The messages are meant to remind the Olympians that they “always have the backing of the nation.”
British fashion designer Stella McCartney has designed the team’s competition outfits, which feature a coat of arms.
Cuba
The athletes representing Cuba in Rio will be wearing clothes and shoes from two French companies — Christian Louboutin and SportyHenri.com.
The athletes’ jackets feature the Cuban flag on the breast pocket and the flag’s white star, which is a symbol of luck, on the back.
Louboutin is best known for the red-soled women’s stilletos he designs. Naturally, he played a major role in the design of the team’s shoes.
The men can choose between either high-top trainers or canvas slip-ons, while the women have a specially-designed kitten heel sandal.
South Korea
Olympians from South Korea will be wearing uniforms sprayed with insect repellant. The special coating is intended to protect athletes from Zika virus, which is spread by mosquitos and has been found in Rio.
The athletes’ Opening Ceremony uniforms feature long-sleeved blazers and pants as an additional protection.